Pic-A-Lilli Inn

866 US-206
Shamong, NJ 08088
(609) 268-2066
Website

South Jersey has some of the best food around. They make great cheesesteaks and hoagies, and their wings are only rivaled by the Philly 'burbs. The Pic-A-Lilli Inn is sister restaurant to the Pic-A-Lilli Pub in Atlantic City. Cheap beer and great wings can be had at both. The Inn is located smack dab in the middle of the Pine Barrens. So you can go ride bikes/motorcycles or kayaks, and then grab some cold ones and some wings after.

The cheesesteak at the Pic-A-Lilli is no slouch either. Served on a Liscio's roll, the meat is finely chopped, well seasoned, and came with a hearty ratio of American. The onions were fried well, sweet and caramelized without becoming mush.

Curly fries with a side of wiz rounded out this low calorie, low carb lunch. It was basically diet food.

The wings are actually counted in half wing. So an order of ten works out to be about fifteen to twenty wings. An order of six is shown below. The sauce can get hot quick, so if you skip "spicy" and go to "hot" be warned, they have the burn.

The meat is tender, and the skin well rendered. These are not the crispiest wings you will eat, but they just work. A combination of the deep flavor of the sauce, and the little morsels of deliciousness is enough to satisfy anyone from a biker (you will see lots here) to a chubby food writer (likely to find me here as well).

Gleason's Place

1973 Clayton Williamstown Rd
Franklinville, NJ
(856) 629-7470
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Gleason's Place is one of those bars you might be planning to visit for the first time, but when you near your destination, you continue on out of fear. But in this case, I urge you to not judge the book by its cover. I hadn't been there in a year or so, but like to stop by on my way to the shore (backroads). They have great wings, and good drink specials. Don't let the exterior fool you, this place is staffed by great people, and the regulars are mostly friendly.

They actually have an expansive menu, and they offer little known favorites like hoagie dip, and stuffed long hots.

The wings are the main draw, and I settled into some "Gleason's Sauce" style pretty quickly. The sauce is a buffalo sauce that has oregano and some other spices in it, for a unique and delicious twist on the original.

They were well rendered, and plenty tender. I was licking the sauce off of the plate. It was like they took a dry rub mix and threw it right into the sauce, best of both worlds.

Crispy skin is what good wings are all about, and these did not disappoint.

Even though I was stopping for a light lunch, I also tried the loaded tots. This platter is ridiculous. It's tots for ten, or at least four. The tots were fried hard and smothered in cheese sauce, sour cream, nacho cheese, and bacon. Not for those on a diet.

I could not even get close to eating this whole platter. However, I did my damnedest.

It was dead while I was there, but it WAS a holiday weekend on an early Friday. Still – shuffleboard, pool, lots of tvs and large portions of great fried food. If you go, don't sleep on the cheesesteak. Also, they have some ridiculous lunch specials like $3 sandwiches, just depends what day you are there.

Pic-A-Lilli Pub

231 S. Tennessee Ave
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 344-1113
Website

Atlantic City is a lot of things. Notably, it's the dive of the two big casino towns in the US. Therefore I figured there had to be a dive bar there that was classic, not just terrifying. Although some of the patrons were preserved in ethanol, there wings were fresh and delicious.

They are also open 24 hours. I have been there late night/early morning, but I wanted to see if what I remembered about the place was correct. That the wings are as good as blurry memory served.

Beers were about $2 a mug, and if you texted some bullshit number they gave you a free one. Done.

There was actually something green in this place, and they served plenty of it. You can tell the wings rule the roost, because the celery was crisp and fresh.

The end bones were basically Frenched on these things, which gave you an extra handle to wrestle these saucy flappers into your mouth. The sauce was a thick, spicy, vinegary paste that was perfect for your wing cravings. And at $17 for 25, they didn't break the bank, unlike the craps table. . .

They were also served in an endearing clear glass casserole type dish. I must admit, I am a big fan of this place. It's nice to get out of the casinos, get something delicious, and not get robbed.

The Golden Nugget

433 New Freedom Road,
Berlin, NJ 08009
(856) 753-1402
Website


Okay, the sign says Country Music and chicken wings, our specialties. How can it not be good? That coupled with the fact that it's in the middle of nowhereville New Jersey, seems like a win-win. Oh, and it is. Although I went for the wings, I could certainly not pass up a high class appetizer, like pepperoni, cheese cubes and saltines, right? I knew I was in for a treat when I walked in, and this basket of comfort only solidified that feeling. The biggest surprise? How good the honey mustard was with it.


Sorry for the fuzzy pictures, but the place is a hazy, nothing too fancy spot, so it kind of fits.



The bartenders are nice, attentive, and honest. I asked if there were any beer specials (on a Monday night), and he said, "well, our beer is already really cheap so there is no need for it." Touché. If you look closely, you will see that the wings are $5.50 for ten, all the time. Insane. In Philly you often end up paying up to $12 for eight "gourmet" wings, that are okay, but let's face it – when I want wings, I want cheap, crispy and tasty. That's it. Nowhere in Philly proper meets my standards. PLEASE correct me if you think I am wrong. Anyway, this place is known for wings, and music, so let's talk wings, at least (live music only on the weekends).


An order of twenty sets you back $10.50. Wednesday and Thursday nights, it's all you can stomach for $7. I will be back for that, you can count on it. The wings came out quick, hot, and incredibly crispy. The flavor was well developed and I tasted both garlic and I believe chicken bouillon in the sauce. Seriously. There was a nice layer of heat, and the crispiness was just perfect. No lie, these may be my favorites ever.


The blue cheese is extra, but at these prices, who cares? It's also nicely chunky, and a perfect complement for the crispy, tender fried chicken masterpieces.


The butterflied shrimp were also delicious, and although nothing fancy, they were fried just right.


Oh and as if that all wasn't good enough, since it was Monday night, it was ONE DOLLAR all you can eat pizza. Seriously. The pizza was meh, but far be it from me to not eat my fill for a buck. They bring it around every fifteen minutes or so, and you can just pass whenever you want, and take a slice when you wish. Amazing. Couple all of this with incredibly cheap beer, and I have a place to which I wish I lived closer. That still won't keep me away, however, and I now have a new place to satisfy my awesome-wings-from-the-burbs cravings.